Chapter 17
Biological Oscillations of Vascular Origin
and Their Meaning: In Vivo Studies
of Arteriolar Vasomotion
Antonio Colantuoni and Dominga Lapi
Abstract Oscillations in vessel diameter were reported by Jones (Circ. Res. 15:279–
287, [15]) in the bat wing venular microcirculation, while Krogh (A Contribution to
the Physiology of the Capillaries. Nobel Lecture, [16]) suggested the capillary recruitment to increase blood flow in muscle tissue. Nicoll and Webb (Angiology 6:291–
308, [23]) were the first to define vasomotion as the outstanding motor phenomenon
in the vasculature, investigating microcirculation in the bat wing. A lot of data were
reported during the decades 70’ and 80’ of the last century. We implemented a preparation (skin fold chamber window) to observe subcutaneous vessels without anesthesia and acute surgical trauma in golden hamsters. We observed rhythmic changes
in arteriolar diameter, with increase in amplitude and frequency from larger to smaller
arterioles. We noted that at branchings there was a change in vasomotion frequency
with significant reduction in arteriolar diameter. We further developed our in vivo
preparation to investigate the microvascular networks in dorsal skin muscle (Cutaneous Maximus) in golden hamsters. We characterized the arterioles according to
Strahler’s ordering scheme, starting from order 1 arterioles up to largest in the preparation (order 5: 39.6 ± 5.7 μm), that were arcade arterioles, i.e. arterio-arteriolar
anastomoses, functioning as a blood reservoir to feed the muscle tissue, through
terminal arteriolar trees. These arterioles gave origin to the capillaries and presented
vasomotion with occlusion of the lumen (0.14 ± 0.04 Hz), causing intermittent capillary blood flow. Furthermore, the arteriolar oscillations were investigated in the rat
cranial window preparation, where we detected arteriolar oscillation in the same
range as reported by Aneta Stefanowska in humans by the laser Doppler technique.
In conclusion, the regulation of tissue perfusion takes place in the microcirculation,
where arterioles induce an “opening and closing mechanism” distribution of blood
flow to the capillary networks.
A. Colantuoni (B) · D. Lapi
Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University Medical School, Via Pansini
5, Naples 80131, Italy
e-mail: antonio.colantuoni@unina.it
D. Lapi
e-mail: dominga.lapi@unina.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Stefanovska and P. V. E. McClintock (eds.), Physics of Biological
Oscillators, Understanding Complex Systems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59805-1_17
273
Biological Oscillations of Vascular Origin
and Their Meaning: In Vivo Studies
of Arteriolar Vasomotion
Antonio Colantuoni and Dominga Lapi
Abstract Oscillations in vessel diameter were reported by Jones (Circ. Res. 15:279–
287, [15]) in the bat wing venular microcirculation, while Krogh (A Contribution to
the Physiology of the Capillaries. Nobel Lecture, [16]) suggested the capillary recruitment to increase blood flow in muscle tissue. Nicoll and Webb (Angiology 6:291–
308, [23]) were the first to define vasomotion as the outstanding motor phenomenon
in the vasculature, investigating microcirculation in the bat wing. A lot of data were
reported during the decades 70’ and 80’ of the last century. We implemented a preparation (skin fold chamber window) to observe subcutaneous vessels without anesthesia and acute surgical trauma in golden hamsters. We observed rhythmic changes
in arteriolar diameter, with increase in amplitude and frequency from larger to smaller
arterioles. We noted that at branchings there was a change in vasomotion frequency
with significant reduction in arteriolar diameter. We further developed our in vivo
preparation to investigate the microvascular networks in dorsal skin muscle (Cutaneous Maximus) in golden hamsters. We characterized the arterioles according to
Strahler’s ordering scheme, starting from order 1 arterioles up to largest in the preparation (order 5: 39.6 ± 5.7 μm), that were arcade arterioles, i.e. arterio-arteriolar
anastomoses, functioning as a blood reservoir to feed the muscle tissue, through
terminal arteriolar trees. These arterioles gave origin to the capillaries and presented
vasomotion with occlusion of the lumen (0.14 ± 0.04 Hz), causing intermittent capillary blood flow. Furthermore, the arteriolar oscillations were investigated in the rat
cranial window preparation, where we detected arteriolar oscillation in the same
range as reported by Aneta Stefanowska in humans by the laser Doppler technique.
In conclusion, the regulation of tissue perfusion takes place in the microcirculation,
where arterioles induce an “opening and closing mechanism” distribution of blood
flow to the capillary networks.
A. Colantuoni (B) · D. Lapi
Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University Medical School, Via Pansini
5, Naples 80131, Italy
e-mail: antonio.colantuoni@unina.it
D. Lapi
e-mail: dominga.lapi@unina.it
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
A. Stefanovska and P. V. E. McClintock (eds.), Physics of Biological
Oscillators, Understanding Complex Systems,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-59805-1_17
273